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The Awk Spot: The Time Tim Tried Spin Class

This morning I taught Spin class for the second time this week. Call me boring, but I used the same class format I taught on Wednesday when I subbed then. I really got a good workout from it on Wednesday, so I decided to repeat it today. Had the class been in the same time slot, I wouldn’t have done a repeat class though. I hate doing that!

Tim came to my class this morning, which was fun. I always love having him there. I must admit though, that any time Tim comes to my Spin classes I have to laugh a little bit. He’s come a long way since his very first time…

The Awk Spot: The Time Tim Tried Spin Class

Two A Day Tuesday didn’t always used to be my thing. Back in the day, I actually taught a weekly Spin class over at the Waltham Y branch on Tuesdays. That’s where I started teaching right after college when I lived in Waltham for a year. I had a Monday morning Muscle class, a Tuesday night Spin, and I can’t even remember what else it seems so long ago!!

Anyways, when Tim and I started “dating” (aka dating but not admitting it), I somehow convinced him to try one of my Spin classes. He agreed to come to class, and when he got there I helped him get set up properly on a bike. After I adjusted his bike settings appropriately, I said to him, “Now make sure when you’re pedaling that you have enough resistance to support your knees. You don’t want it to be too light that you hurt yourself.” I instructed him on how to both increase and decrease the tension on the bike.

Apparently as I turned and walked back to my instructor station, Tim decreased the tension immediately. He tells me know that his first thought was, “If I have ANY hope of impressing this girl and making it through an hour of cardio, there’s no WAY I can keep the resistance on.”

I started class, not knowing that Tim had turned the resistance ALL THE WAY DOWN. And I remember after two minutes of introducing myself, giving my spiel, and instructing the WARM-UP, I looked over at Tim.

He was peddling away as fast as he could.

Like a little boy getting onto his bike for the first time. No joke. Legs FLYING.

And we were still just warming up.

I made a point to remind everyone to have enough resistance, to enforce that we were still in the process of getting our heart rates up, etc. Didn’t help. Tim’s legs were still cycling away. Again, when we discuss this story years later Tim INSISTS that he was doing this because he hadn’t been on a bike since he was 12 and “when a 12-year-old boy stands to pedal, you automatically go as fast as possible.”

Well, he continued going as fast as possible until a sharp pain went shooting up the side of his leg.

(Um, YEAH, that’s cause you didn’t LISTEN to me!!)

Tim continued on, leg in pain, throughout the class. At the time, I had no idea. Now I know that about 35 minutes into it, the pain was becoming unbearable. As in, he could feel the pain reaching the fingertips in his left hand.

(For the record, I’ve NEVER heard of that happening to anyone before).

So naturally, when your leg (and left fingertips?) are hurting, the solution is to adjust the handlebars.

As Tim continued cycling, he leaned somewhat forward and starting playing with the knob that holds the handlebars in the bike. But he didn’t realize that it was already on the highest setting that it could be on.

And this happened:

The handlebars came OUT of the bike. Tim was now holding them in his hand.

But he wasn’t expecting the handlebars to come loose like that, and the momentum pretty much sent him ricocheting backwards.

Handlebars in hand still.

It looked like he was on a unicycle.

Oh, AND his water bottle during all of this went SHOOTING to the front of the exercise room at the same time and slammed against the mirror.

Everyone stared at him. And what did I do?

I calmly just said, “Excuse me, SIR? Do you need any help?”

As if I didn’t even know him!!! Oh my God, I am (was?) the WORST.

He was fine. But he did awkwardly limp around work for about a week, pretty much dragging his foot on the floor.

Moral of the story is he realized early on in our relationship to listen to me. And now it works out well, even though we always argue over who gets to tell this story to our friends.

Anybody have a funny first time workout story they’d like to share? Or an embarrassing exercise moment?

I am finally getting into reading your blog and it is amazing! Personally I have snagged both a pant leg and a shoe lace in spin class and almost lost my right leg both times. What a sport he is to act it out!

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Welcome! I'm Athena, a twenty-something corporate wellness coordinator, personal trainer, and fitness instructor living in the Boston area. I am passionate about helping women feel empowered to lift heavy weights and treat themselves with self compassion. I believe that strength is contagious and healthy living lets people become their happiest and best version of themselves. I also love awkward moments, trying new restaurants, and taking group exercise classes around the city. Oh yeah, and drinking wine too. Thanks for stopping by!

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Disclaimer

I am a certified personal trainer (ACSM) and certified group fitness instructor (AFAA); however the ideas I express in Fitness & Feta are mine alone, based on my own experiences, and should not be taken as medical advice. This blog is simply meant to guide you toward a healthier path and inspire you. I do NOT photograph everything I eat.